Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Principal's Helplessness

Taking a step back to evade Ren Tian’s punch, Song Nianqiang stood his ground, watching Ren Tian with a faint smile, much like one might observe a monkey being teased.

"That’s all you’ve got? You can't touch me with that." His tone dripped with disdain. Ren Tian, having never been belittled like this since childhood, flared up instantly. He clenched his fists tightly and lashed out again, aiming a fierce blow at Song Nianqiang’s head.

This time, Song Nianqiang did not dodge. Instead, he lunged forward, meeting Ren Tian’s strike with an iron fist of his own. As the two fists collided, Ren Tian let out a miserable wail, staggered back a few paces, and collapsed onto the floor, clutching his hand. Unlike Ren Tian—a pampered rich kid who only trained occasionally on punching bags and had never faced real life-or-death combat—Song Nianqiang was forged in the fire of endless street fights. His knuckles were as hard as stone, a fact Ren Tian learned the hard way; it felt as though he had struck a block of solid iron, and the throbbing pain took a long time to subside.

"Again!" Ren Tian refused to let it end this way. Not only had he suffered a humiliating defeat, but if he walked away now, he would never be able to hold his head high in front of his classmates. This was no longer just about winning or losing a fight; it was a matter of personal honor. If he won, it would be easy to explain, but if he walked away, he would undoubtedly be the subject of endless gossip.

"Let’s just call it quits. You’re no match for me," Song Nianqiang said coolly, casting a indifferent glance at him. But Ren Tian wouldn't have it. "No! One of us has to end up on the ground today!" He rushed at Song Nianqiang again. Upon hearing this, Song Nianqiang’s expression turned icy. "Damn it, that’s exactly what I was waiting for!"

Song Nianqiang stopped holding back. Ren Tian, despite being a pretty boy, actually had decent technique, but after trading a few blows, Song Nianqiang landed a heavy punch squarely in his chest. Ren Tian’s face flushed a deep red, and he stumbled backward, nearly collapsing onto his backside.

His chest felt constricted, and after gasping for air to catch his breath, he glared at Song Nianqiang with pure, venomous hatred, wishing he could grind him into dust.

"Again!" This time, Song Nianqiang took the initiative. He darted forward and delivered a swift kick. Ren Tian, caught off guard, took the blow directly to his stomach. As he reflexively doubled over, Song Nianqiang leaped up, drove his knee upward, and slammed it into Ren Tian’s jaw.

"Crack!" A sickening sound of breaking bone echoed out. Ren Tian’s vision went black as he drifted toward unconsciousness, but Song Nianqiang wasn’t about to let this golden opportunity slip. He grabbed Ren Tian by the collar, pulled him close, leaped into the air, and drove his knee into Ren Tian’s chest.

He repeated this five times until Ren Tian was completely unconscious. Song Nianqiang finally released him, leaving him slumped on the ground like a pile of rags, blood flowing from his nose and mouth. Many students gasped, but Song Nianqiang felt a sense of relief. "Damn you, trying to have me assassinated? Now I’ve beaten you so badly you won't be out of bed for three months. Let’s see you try that again!"

With such a major incident occurring, the school administration was quickly alerted. The first to arrive was the vice principal, who had never liked Song Nianqiang to begin with. Now that Song Nianqiang had openly hospitalized a student, the vice principal felt that if he didn't impose a severe punishment, the school's discipline, dignity, and reputation would be in shambles.

"Song Nianqiang! Come with me!" The vice principal barked, his face dark as he hauled him away. After the incident that morning, the vice principal had made inquiries about Song Nianqiang. Even though he knew the boy had beaten the dean of students and walked away unscathed, he hadn't taken it seriously.

With so many students watching, Song Nianqiang didn't want to make the vice principal lose face, so he followed him to his office. The vice principal was seething with rage, but he managed to suppress it for the moment. Pointing at Song Nianqiang standing in the corner, he demanded, "Why were you fighting?"

Song Nianqiang shrugged innocently. "I wanted to join a club, but I was worried about it being a waste of time, so I suggested a sparring match with the Taekwondo club. But that Ren Tian was a total jerk, insisting that one of us had to stay down for the fight to be over. Since I’m not the type to stay down, it had to be him."

"Sparring? This was public brawling! It’s a disgraceful act! Now, get out of here and go home. Don't come back until you bring your parents!" The vice principal felt he was being remarkably restrained; in the past, he would have beaten the boy senseless.

Song Nianqiang, however, didn't take the threat to heart. Seeing no reason to stay, he turned to leave. As he walked out the door, he collided head-on with a large, burly man rushing in. "Are you in a hurry to be reincarnated? Why the rush?"

Rubbing his head, which throbbed from the impact, Song Nianqiang asked, "I heard you were dragged into the vice principal's office by some blind fool, so I came to help you beat him up!" The large man spoke without a filter, his words spilling out like water from a tipped bucket. Since they were right at the office door and Song Nianqiang hadn't closed it, every word drifted straight into the vice principal’s ears.

"The two of you, get in here right now!" Being called a "blind fool" by his own student was the greatest humiliation he had suffered in his teaching career, and he was not going to let this slide.

"Screw you! Who the hell are you calling a little punk?" The large man had a fiery temper and didn't care who the vice principal was. He stomped past Song Nianqiang, grabbed the vice principal by the collar, and pressed his face against his.

Realizing this situation wouldn't end peacefully, Song Nianqiang slammed the door shut and locked it from the inside. Though the vice principal had been a soldier and had seen his share of trouble, he had never encountered students this arrogant. Judging by the large man's posture, if he said one more wrong word, he was certain to be attacked.

"You two little brats won't be running wild in this school!" Having served in the military, the vice principal shoved the large man's hand away and lunged forward, physically pushing the two-hundred-pound man back.

"I’m warning you! If you dare act out again, I’ll make sure you're expelled and sent home immediately!" The vice principal was livid, yet deep down, he was nervous. He feared that Song Nianqiang and the large man might actually start a fight in the office, especially since the door was locked—something they were clearly capable of.

If a fight did break out, he knew he might not be a match for them. A black belt in Taekwondo had been dismantled by Song Nianqiang in seconds, leaving him bedridden for months. The vice principal wondered how such a dangerous character was still allowed to stay in school.

In truth, the principal desperately wanted Song Nianqiang gone, but these two had been admitted under the direct personal approval of the provincial director of education. Expelling them was impossible. The principal had once held a glimmer of hope, compiling three full pages of their misconduct and handing them directly to the director, only for the man to throw the file into the trash without even glancing at it.

To this day, the principal remembered the director’s words clearly: "You think I want this? It’s an order from above. I'm warning you—the person behind this order is a figure of immense power. If you want to advance in your career, just keep your eyes shut and look the other way."